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2.05-64 Rev. 11/96- PR07; 10/20 TR148 <br />conditions, the area is retreated or the topsoil replaced as conditions dictate. To prevent bare areas <br />from being overrun by noxious weeds, attempts are made to control noxious weeds during <br />reclamation by mowing or other appropriate methods approved by the Division. <br /> <br /> Riparian Areas <br /> <br />Some facilities have been constructed in riparian vegetation and other areas within the 100-foot <br />riparian/stream buffer zone of the North Fork of the Gunnison River and are identified in Figure 18 as <br />areas of buffer zone variance. They include the water intake gallery, sediment ponds and associated <br />spillways and ditches, a railroad siding, the railroad loadout facility, a light-use road and the area of <br />sediment pond MB-5E (formerly a portion of the old Bear No. 1 and 2 Mines site.) Within Section 9 of <br />T13S, R90W, the 100-foot wide riparian/stream buffer zone on each side of the river encompasses 11.9 <br />acres along the north and south banks of the North Fork of the Gunnison River. Of this total acreage <br />only 1.2 acres are covered by riparian vegetation. The remainder is rock debris and an industrial area. A <br />total of 0.4 acres of the variance area was covered by riparian vegetation. <br /> <br />Sylvester Gulch is a stream with a biological community as defined by Rule 4.05.18(3). The realigned <br />main haul/access road will be constructed within 100 feet of Sylvester Gulch, and a variance to the <br />stream buffer zone as defined by Rule 4.05.17 is appropriate because the original stream channel will not <br />be disturbed, water quality and quantity will not be adversely affected due to slope stabilization methods <br />(BMPs, revegetation, and MSE walls), and the reclamation plan provides for the reestablishment of <br />appropriate riparian vegetation. Both the North Fork and Sylvester Gulch stream buffer zones are <br />marked with signs stating “Stream Buffer Zone”. The US Forest Service has requested that no buffer <br />zone signs be placed along streams within the Gunnison National Forest where roads, drill pads or other <br />disturbances may cross or be within 100’ of any stream with a drainage area above that disturbance of <br />one square mile or greater. All such disturbances have been approved by the US Forest Service and <br />CDRMS with a finding of no impact to water quantity or quality. <br /> <br />Mountain Coal Company will reclaim the 1.3 acres of disturbance within the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River riparian/stream buffer zone and the disturbance within the Sylvester Gulch <br />riparian/stream buffer zone. The reclamation methods described in the Roads Section will be used to <br />revegetate disturbances within the riparian buffer zone. In addition, all disturbances outside the present <br />riparian vegetation community will be reclaimed as shrub clusters, where site conditions permit. If site <br />conditions preclude shrub cluster vegetation, the CDRMS will be consulted to develop a mutually <br />agreeable reclamation alternative. Also, the species used in the riparian vegetation community <br />revegetation effort are noted below and are based on a survey of species present within the riparian <br />vegetation communities (Table 40). The grass and forb species below, as well as streambank willow <br />and up to six (6) Colorado blue spruce tublings (from Table 40) will be hand-planted along the banks for <br />the restoration of a 50’ area of South Prong Creek (see TR-148 in Exhibit 80). <br /> <br /> Grass and Forb Pounds/Acre PLS <br /> Western Wheatgrass 4 <br /> Kentucky Bluegrass 1/2 <br /> Slender Wheatgrass 2 <br /> Streambank Wheatgrass 3 <br /> Alsike Clover 1/2 <br /> Cicer Milkvetch _1_ <br /> 11